Improvement in knapsacks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BONDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEM ENT IN KNAPSAC KS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,560, dated March 4, 1862.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BONDY, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knapsacks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the knapsack opened, so as to exhibit the application of one part of my improvements; Fig. 2, a side view of a knapsack closed for carrying, showing the other part of my improvements; Fig. 3, a top view, corresponc'ling with the view in Fig. 2.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Knapsacks with frames to keep them in good shape are much better for carrying, inasmuch as they will hold more articles in better shape and are much easier to carry. But, on the other hand, knapsacks without frames are much more compact for transportation when not to be carried; and since they are sometimes to be carried and sometimes to be transported, the advantages of both constructions have not heretofore been obtained. Attempts have been made to construct removable and folding frames, so as to effect the double advantages at different times; but these frames have not the features of compactness and lightness proper to secure the objects desired.

I accomplish the purpose in a perfectly practicable manner and cheaper than by any other construction. Simple stretchers of the right form and shape I iind to be sufficient to effect all the purposes'of removable and folding frames without their disadvantages. I take four stretchers B B B B, Fig. 1, just long enough and wide enough to keep the sides of the knapsack-body stretched out in full size and proper form. These stretchers may be made very thin and light, of tine wood or other suitable material, and have very slight and the simplest joints, such as the projections a a on the ends of two of them, and holes or mortises b b in the other two, as shown in Fig. 1, or tongues and grooves, or any other simple means convenient. These stretchers iit together, as shown by black lines in the iigure, for keeping the knapsack in shape; and when the knapsack is to be folded up compactly for mere transportation, they are separated and laid side by side in the bottom of the knapsack, as indicated by red lines in the same figure. Thus they do not interfere at all with the compactest folding, take up but a triiie of room, and weigh but an ounce or two. They can be applied to knapsacks now in use, and even any soldier may himself make the stretchers with a knife in a few minutes without cost. When these stretchers are in place they keep the knapsack square and fiat, so that they ride more lightly on the shoulders and do not draw down as a dead weightthereon; but to complet-e the improvemeint in the matter ot' easy carriage,I add the other feature of my invention, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This improvement consists in adding two short straps D D at the top of the folded knapsack, and extending from the shoulder-straps C, which are permanently fixed or attached to the front side of the knapsack, from where they pass over the tops of the shoulders back to, the top of the knapsack, near the rear edge thereof, substantially as shown in the drawings. They are made adjustable by buckles f f (or their equivalents) attached at the shoulder-strap or at the knapsack, so that they may draw with the proper degree of tension to accomplish their purpose. Their position and action are indicated in Fig. 3. Their effect is to sustain the knapsack and draw it close to the shoulders, so as to prevent its swinging about, and (what is of the greatest importance) they keep the back side of the knapsack firmly elevated, so that the lower end is not permitted to press and knock against the small of the back, as knapsacks otherwise do, and thus they obviate a very great burden and evil in carrying heavy knapsacks.

The above-described two features together constitute a very great improvement in the use of knapsacks neverbet'ore accomplished. The latter improvement is also readily applied toknapsacks nowin use and at avery triiiing expense.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The straps D D, extending from and connecting the rear upper edge of the knapsack to the shoulder-straps (or strap) C, which are fixed to the front side of the knapsack, substantially as and forthe purpose herein specilied.

JOSEPH BONDY. Witnesses:

R. F. Oseoon, J. S. BROWN. 

